(2001), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage, 2023 Cond Nast. [5][6][7] In 2014, one of the TV news control rooms at Syracuse's Dick Clark Studios and Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation was named in his honor. We've received your submission. With Fox News and MSNBC having already staked out the right and left ends of the political spectrum, attracting the middle (what Mr. Licht referred to as normal people) has proved elusive. He is best known as the showrunner and executive producer of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, as well as CBS's executive vice president of special programming. That split comes down a split over the fears for democracy in America. [23] Licht has expressed a desire to change negative perceptions of CNN among Republicans. CHANG: OK. The two men have known each other for 15 years, since both were working at NBC, where Mr. Zaslav helped start MSNBC. . To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Of late, Brianna Keilar, who had been known for doing these long videos kind of breaking down and eviscerating Donald Trump's falsehoods and lies, you know, recently has spent a lot of time lately going after President Biden for his address last week in Philadelphia, in which he termed the MAGA wing of the Republican Party a threat to American democracy. Hes a fighter, and he likes to win, Mr. Zaslav said. Lemon, which were widely viewed as sexist and insensitive, had left him "disappointed." But cable news, along with all cable channels, has been in secular decline, troubled by shifting viewer habits in an era of cord cutting and an exodus to streaming services and online news sites. CNN's chairman, Chris Licht, opened his daily 9 a.m. editorial call by saying the remarks by Mr. We're going to get back to our roots. Chris Licht, who took over leadership of CNN Worldwide last month, wants to rein in the use of the " breaking news " banner. If anything, he wants to really focus more on news than opinion. Mr. Licht said the firings were the low point of his tenure so far. I think the frontrunner always merits the most amount of attention. Discovery chief David Zaslav has reportedly zeroed in on the replacement for former CNN President Jeff Zucker, and it will be Chris Licht, as first reported by Puck News' Dylan Byers.. Licht's hiring was expected to come at a special Discovery shareholders meeting March 11, but CNN is expected to make the announcement next week, according to CNN's Brian Stelter. We have to call lies, lies, whether theyre small lies or big lies. ), One-hundred percent. Mr. Licht told the New York Times that he was surprised by the "uninformed vitriol" from fellow liberals on his recent changes. Is Secession the Answer to American Disunity? It has to be compelling and entertaining without hurting the news brand, he said, citing his former boss Mr. Colbert, and Mr. Stewart as the kind of people whod work, while acknowledging that Mr. Stewart is already locked into a lucrative contract at Apple TV. When it comes to creating and producing content for networks, cable, and streaming services, Licht has experience in news, scripted, non-scripted, talk shows, and live programming. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. One such strategy requires CNN only refer to news as "breaking news" when they are really important. After weeks of pushing out some of its highest profile personalities, CNNs new boss has made his first big on-air hires. Licht is also reportedly monitoring CNNs top anchors including personalities such as Brian Stelter and Jim Acosta to see if they can adhere to the networks new emphasis on less partisan coverage. The threat to American democracy by a resurgent Republican party which could have Trump again vying for the White House in 2024 has not gone away. Newhouse School", "Chris Licht has been selected as next president of CNN", "Chris Licht, Executive Producer Of 'CBS This Morning,' To Discuss Network Morning News", "CBS Hopes for a Stephen Colbert Bump From a New Leader at 'The Late Show', "How Stephen Colbert Finally Found His Elusive Groove", "Stephen Colbert gets a bump after new producer takes the reins", "Jeff Zucker's Successor Is Chris Licht", "Chris Licht, a Creator of 'Morning Joe' and 'Colbert' Producer, Is Set to Run CNN", "Chris Licht introduces himself to CNN as its next CEO", "The Chris Licht Era at CNN Starts Today", "CNN cutting back on over-hyping everything as "breaking news", "CNN management intent on changing perception of the network", "CBS Nominated for 44 News & Documentary Emmy Awards", "Near-death experience teaches TV producer how to live", "Joe Biden goes into action for TV producer battling a brain hemorrhage", "Q&A: TV Exec Chris Licht on His Near-Death Experience", Licht on 'Cuse Conversations Podcast in 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Licht&oldid=1139542884, Television producers from New York (state), S.I. Your email address will not be published. Licht is married to Jenny Blanco. Among the reforms, Licht directed network anchors and producers to stop using the phrase "The Big Lie" to describe attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election - in part because it's a. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Why it matters: Ratings are secondary to credibility, in the view of Warner Bros. Although he spent equal time with Democratic leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Mr. Licht was irritated that his visit was billed as an apology tour and effort to coax Republicans back onto the network part of CNNs perceived move to the right. [33] Jenny worked at CNN for several years as a producer for Anderson Cooper and then as a director of talent recruiting and development. But Id rather try to win this way.. 2023 Cond Nast. Miller most recently served as the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism. He declined to be more specific but promised surprises. Licht says he's not going to pull any punches, doesn't mean that they're going to stop reporting. A new trove of leaked emails between Trump lawyer John Eastman and Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, and with Trump insiders, raises more questions about the Supreme Court's proximity to the plans to overturn the 2020 election result. The experience inspired him to write a book titled, What I Learned When I Almost Died.. His first major act was to kill the networks fledgling streaming service, CNN+, and fire 400 or so people working on it. During the 2016 electionand even afterZucker was often dismissive of critics who said CNN, more than its cable rivals, gave Trump outsized attention. The shift at CNN, says Ariana Pekary, CJR public editor for the network, has come under cover, so to speak, of the war in Ukraine. The uninformed vitriol, especially from the left, has been stunning, Mr. Licht said in one of several interviews with The New York Times spanning his nearly eight-month tenure. Chris Licht, CNN Worldwide chairman and CEO, has been embarking on an overhaul of the network's lineup. Notably, the two hosts, the former Republican politician Joe Scarborough and the more liberal former CBS correspondent Mika Brzezinski, straddled the political divide. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. But what does that do to the brand if you want to be the most trusted name in news? he said. Among the casualties were familiar commentators like Chris Cillizza, key behind-the-scenes producers with decades of experience, and the entirety of HLN, CNNs sister network, and its popular morning host, Robin Meade. During a call with staff Tuesday morning, CEO Chris Licht announced that John Miller would be joining CNN as the networks Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Still, it is a measure of CNNs flailing ratings that Licht even feels the need to undertake the charade of GOP outreach. He came to WVTM from WBEC where he worked as the sports anchor at 6, 9, and 10 pm. Thats a little bit like asking why The New York Times has had more stories about Hillary than anyone else." But the network has pushed back on suggestions that Licht was specifically trying to curry favor with. Licht co-created Morning Joe on MSNBC and served as its first executive producer before joining CBS. Some at the network are skeptical. CNN is one example of a bigger battle thats going to come to a head in the coverage of the midterms and immediately after.. Since then, he and Mr. Colbert have spoken nearly every Friday. Suzanne Scott FOX News CEO, Husband, Age, Political Party, Salary, Net worth, Andy Jassy Amazon CEO, Leadership Style, Age, Wife, Salary, Net worth. Inside Politics will remain at noon-1 PM ET, . Rian Johnson, Halle Berry, and More Share Their Inspiration, From the Archive:Who Stole the Oscars? On Feb. 28, Mr. Licht was named CNNs new chief executive. Can the Republican hold on to the political movement he helped build? If so, it would appear that he is the wrong man to do it. This success occurred partly because Licht allowed the show's hosts Gayle King, Charlie Rose, and Norah O'Donnell, to talk freely about news events and about themselves. Licht appears to be taking a neutral stand in matters of politics. In a statement to all workers that he delivered on his first day as CNNs chairman and CEO, Licht lamented that unfortunately, too many people have lost faith in the news industry.. They say they're reformulating how they're going to cover the media. In an effort to restore morale and calm anxiety, Mr. Licht assured CNN employees at a network-wide town hall meeting on May 5 that Warner Bros. While in charge of CBS This Morning, he was credited with making the show unexpectedly successful, giving CBS its most competitive place in the morning show race in almost 30 years. You work for me.. Your jobs have an impact. [26] As CBS This Morning's executive producer, he was co-nominated for three Emmy Awards in 2015: one for Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, one for Outstanding Feature Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, and one for Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast. There is a huge split within journalism and within newsrooms about how to respond to this moment, said Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of Columbia Journalism Review. Yet Mr. Licht was noncommittal. After long absences, several Republicans have since appeared on CNN, including Mr. McCarthy and Senator Rick Scott of Florida. Featuring hosts and guests with opposing points of view and playing up controversy has paid ratings dividends on cable in the past, notably on CNNs own Crossfire, which came under criticism for evolving into a verbal food fight criticized by the comedian Jon Stewart as hurting America., But Mr. Licht said he wasnt interested in controversy for its own sake, but to offer a rational conversation about polarizing issues. After watching CNN, he hopes people will take what theyve heard to the dinner table and have a discussion, he said. CNN remained enviably profitable, earning over $1 billion a year for the past five years. Mr. Lichts early programming efforts aimed at repositioning the network as broader and less partisan have prompted howls of criticism, with former MSNBC host and former colleague Keith Olbermann publicly calling Mr. Licht a TV Fascist after he moved Don Lemon, a liberal host, from a prime-time slot to a revamped morning show. Chris Licht became CNN's chairman and CEO in May. The announcement comes as Trumps lies about the 2020 election, and incitement of the Capitol mob, are front and center at the January 6 hearings airing on CNN and other major networks. Copyright 2022 NPR. He argued he could make CNN a news channel that people trusted, as opposed to one that monetized partisan combat. Veteran CBS executive Chris Licht is expected to be named as CNN's next president, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. 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